Ruth has an M.A. in art history from the University of Arizona and was a design curator at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art for nine years. She has published and lectured extensively on topics ranging from experimental design to architectural photography to the anatomy of television. Her many projects at SFMOMA included Belles Lettres: The Art of Typography; Glamour: Fashion, Industrial Design, Architecture; and the 2006 presentation of Alexander Girard: Vibrant Modern.